Places to visit in Pushkar
Planning a trip to Pushkar ? Here in our blog we have listed the best places to visit in Pushkar
Pushkar ranks among the top Indian sites for having the most tourist attractions in Rajasthan. The travel guide for the best places to visit in Pushkar entails a spiritual journey with numerous beautiful temples, a holy dip in the Pushkar lake, the liveliness of a the camel fair and the enchanting aura of the Varahaghat when the evening arrives.
Endowed with both scenic and spiritual beauty, Pushkar is situated in Rajasthan close to Ajmer and 140 kms from Jaipur. Because of its significance religiously and its location in an excellent region, Pushkar is also called Tirth-Raj.
Pushkar host a wonderful Camel Fair which held in the town of Pushkar in November at the time of KartikPurnima. This traditional carnival brings thousands of camels, cattle, and horses together. This is a seven-day colorful, unique exhibition that attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. Apart from trading the livestock the main attractions of the fiesta are camel and horse races, cultural performances, exhibitions, magic shows, longest mustache competition, bridal competition, and many more. Besides, this fair is renowned for being one of the world’s largest cattle fairs.
When to visit Pushkar
Pushkar has a dry climate with cool nights. The days tend to be warmer and even though it is situated in a desert region, you would come across intermittent showers quite frequently. November to March is the best time to visit Pushkar as the winter and early summer time has pleasant temperature.
How to reach
As Pushkar is near Ajmer and Jaipur, travelers can reach Pushkar easily.
- By Road: Pushkar is located at an half hour’s drive from Ajmer. You could also take the luxury buses. Pushkar is connected to all major cities such as Ahmedabad, Bikaner, Delhi, Jaipur, and Mumbai among others.
- By Train: There are luxurious trains such as Shatabdi and express trains till Ajmer which you could opt for to travel to Pushkar.
- By Air: You can catch a flight to Jaipur and then drive to Pushkareasily which is approx. 3 hrs drive (145 Kms). Jaipur is easily connected to all the major Indian cities such as Agra, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
Explore other interestesing cities of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambore, Jaisalmer.
Best places to visit in Pushkar
If you are planning to visit Pushkar here are the top things to do from our travel guide to visit Pushkar for you:
1. Pushkar Lake
Known as the holiest lake in India, Pushkarlake is a water reservoir that is enclosed by 500 temples and 52 ghats which were personal ghats of the 52 Indian maharajas. Pushkarlake has a status equal to holy Ganga river and is one of the most sacred destinations for Hindus. Legend has it that Lord Brahma prayed with Savitri on the river bands and when the lotus petals from his hands fell to earth, this lake was formed.
The famous Pushkar Camel Fair also takes place here. And if you visit during the festival days, you could enjoy camel safaris, cultural acts, hot air balloon rides, camping, and a lot more. The fair has great significance for Hindus as a holy pilgrimage. It is held every year for 5 days and attracts attendees from all over India.
The Pushkar Camel fair is a celebration of the ship of the desert – the camel along with few other cattle. Every year, more than 2 lakh people come from all across the world to visit this colorful festival which aims at trading cattle and camels along with camel races and variety of cultural performances. This year, the dates of the Pushkar Camel fair are from 4th to 12thNovember, 2019.
2. Brahma Temple
Rajastahan is blessed with numerous tourist attractions and architectural wonders from bygone times,Pushkar is also dotted with many ancient temples. Out of all of them, the Lord Brahma temple holds the most importance. The Brahma temple is said to be 2000 years old and as the name suggests itself, is dedicated to Brahma. It is the most prominent of Pushkar shrines. The temple that we see today was re-built in 14th century as the original one was destroyed ages ago.
Made of marble and stone slabs, the temple features an interesting mix. The temple has a hama bird motif and a red-colored shikara is another one of its distinguishing features. When you go inside the temple, you would see that the walls inside the temple have thousands of silver coins inlaid into them. The devotees who come to pay homage to Brahma write their names on these coins as a sign to mark their offering.
3. Savitri Temple
Given its location on top of the hill, there is has been no decrease in the visitors and people who come to pray. The Savitri temple is located on the top of Ratnagirihill which is located right behind the temple of Brahma. You would have to trek for about half an hour to reach the temple.
The Savitri Temple is nestled on top Ratnagirihill in Pushkar and is one of the most renowned and sanctified spots. There is a story behind the name of this temple. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma performed a yajna where his wife Savitri was unable to reach on time. So, in order to timely perform the prayer, the ritual was completed with the help of a local girl Gayatri. Later on, she became the second wife of Brahma. All of this led Savitri to become angry and upset with Brahma.
To calm her down and please her, the shrine was later on dedicated to Savitri. The worship ceremony (arti) is first performed in the Savitri Temple and then in the Gayatri Temple. The Savitri shrines houses the deities of both the goddesses.
4. The Sarafa Market
No trip is ever complete without shopping for souvenirs. In this travel guide to visit Pushkar, we have covered that aspect as well. In Pushkar, you will get to breathe in lot of cultural elements of Rajasthan and shop for unique souvenirs. The Sarafa Bazar is famous for its ethnic clothes, accessories, handicrafts, décor items, stone and bead jewelry, articles made from camel skin, amazing fabrics, leather goods and a lot more. Your tour to Pushkar would be incomplete if you don’t visit the Sarafa bazaar.
Where to Stay in Pushkar
Pushkar is a town that caters to people with all kinds of budgets. It offers accommodation to its visitors and tourists in every range. Here are some of our recommendations to make your stay pleasant and enjoyable.
| Hotel Brahma Horizon | 3* |
| Ananta Spa & Resort | 4.5* |
| The Orchard Camp | 4* |
| The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa | 5* |
We hope you enjoyed our blog on the best places to visit in Pushkar and other travel information. Please do not hesitate to write us for any information of questions.